Malapa

Malapa is a paleoanthropological site and cave located within the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, near Krugersdorp and the town of Malapa in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The cave lies in a dolomitic cave system and, as a depositional site, has yielded well-preserved hominin fossils and other vertebrate remains from early in the Pleistocene.

The site was discovered in 2008 during exploration by researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand led by Lee Berger. In 2010, the fossils of Australopithecus sediba were announced from Malapa, including two relatively complete skeletons designated MH1 and MH2, recovered from the cave floor during subsequent excavations. The sediments at Malapa are dated to about 1.98 million years ago, with a depositional sequence suggesting a long period of underground accumulation.

Australopithecus sediba at Malapa sparked significant scientific interest because the fossils display a mosaic of traits blending features associated with Australopithecus and early Homo. This raised questions about the evolutionary relationships of early hominins and the emergence of Homo, with debates about whether sediba represents a close relative of Homo or a side branch of Australopithecus.

Research at Malapa has continued with ongoing excavations and discoveries, expanding the understanding of early hominin diversity in southern Africa. The site is curated and studied by the Evolutionary Studies Institute and related university collaborations, contributing to broader discussions about human evolution and paleoanthropology in Africa.